The Most Fun you can have for FREE

    This winter we've enjoyed several fun family field-trips that don't cost a dime. We adore Kaleidoscope and KidScape at the Johnson County Museum, but these are fairly popular outings so today I wanted to share five FREE outings that are also some of Kansas City's Best Kept Secrets!

• Lowe's Build and Grow Workshops (www.lowesbuildandgrow.com): On the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month, Lowe's Hardware Stores across the metro offer the BEST woodworking classes for kids and they're FREE! The workshops are held in a classroom at the store and each child is given a canvas apron with their name on it (to keep), safety goggles and a small hammer (just to use for the project), and a small kit to build their own wooden project. In the past few months, we've enjoyed several of these classes making small picture frames, Christmas ornaments, a wooden snowman, a toy house, and a tic tac toe game. My girls are really looking forward to the February 27 workshop when they get to make a wooden car! Parents assist their children a they assemble their projects - each child is given a kit with all the pieces and simple illustrated instructions. After completing the project, they receive an embroidered patch and a certificate. It takes about an hour (sometimes less) to complete a project and we've found this to be a terrific winter outing. The kids love making something "real" and have a terrific sense of accomplishment, and Daddy loves making projects with his girls... I love that the woodworking happens THERE! It's a win-win!
• Burr Oak Woods Nature Center's "Little Acorns" Programs(www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/cnc/burroak/): On the third Wednesday of each month, Burr Oak Woods Nature Center offers program for preschoolers (they also offer other programs for all ages throughout the month). We've been attending FREE "Little Acorns" classes since summer, learning about crayfish, butterflies, bats, trees, frogs and squirrels. At each class, the children learn how animals grow, their special traits, what they eat, and what they do. They read a story (often with puppets), play a game related to the animal (i.e. racing while walking like crayfish), and make a craft (a poseable squirrel puppet being the favorite so far). After learning about the animal or plant, the kids are taken out in "nature" to catch and release butterflies in nets, hunt for squirrel's nests, or catch and release crayfish in the river. We can't wait to find out what we do and learn with the upcoming bird class in February and turtles in March. Last summer we took the crayfish class when my daughter was three... she's STILL talking about it! The staff at the Nature Center uses creative simple lessons to teach children and we LOVE them! "Little Acorns" is designed for children 3-6, and the nature center also offers wonderful classes and programs for children of all ages.
• Storytime: We love storytime at our library and thankfully, they offer different programs to suit our needs and mood! We enjoy Teddy Time on Tuesday evenings when we've been home for a week with snow and need to get out... children bring their teddy bears for a nighttime reading at the library. Thursday mornings (10am) at the Red Bridge Library feature stories, crafts, songs, and a short film. Thursday mornings (10am) at the Plaza Library offers stories, songs, and art - and what I like best about this one is that it is offered in a special storytime room with closed doors and the absence of distractions from other library patrons, toys, puppets, or books. We also love to visit the fabulous children's section at the Central Library and read, creating our own storytime. Border's, Barnes and Noble, and the Learning Tree bookstores also offer great storytimes for kids - we especially love it when characters like The Cat in the Hat or Curious George make a visit at Barnes & Noble (all listed on the KCParent.com calendar!). Storytime Schedules for 0-3 year olds in the Kansas City Area
• Price Chopper Kids Club: If your children join Price Chopper's Kids' Club, they are given a free treat in almost every department every time you shop! My girls love to choose their own slice of cheese at the deli, cookie at the bakery, and juicebox and snack pack... it's definitely a fun treat to accompany the chore of grocery shopping. As members of the club, they are also mailed coupons each month for freebies as well!
• Moon Marble (Read our Review of Moon Marble): Moon Marble is a charming toy store with many "forgotten toys" of years gone by... marbles, classic jack-in-the-boxes, tops, collectibles, as well as new toys crowd this eclectic and novel toy store. Several toys are out for playing / demo, and one room is set aside just to play with marble tracks (including a magnetic set). They also do marble making demonstrations which are captivating for children young and old... this is an experience the "chain toy stores" just can't match!

What are your favorite FREE outings? Any other great "Best Kept Secrets in KC" to share??? Do tell!